All windows, regardless of whether they are single pane, double pane, made of pure glass, or acrylic are subject to breakage due to forces that are received upon one or more of the panes of windows. A breakage occurs when a force that is received by the window pane is greater than that which the window pane was designed to withstand. Acrylic glass windows, such as Plexiglas®, Acrylite®, Lucite®, and Perspex®, were designed using poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate), which gives the window increased resiliency and ability to resist breakage. Unfortunately, however, cracks and breaks still occur and require repair, or in some cases, total replacement.
An additional flaw of many windows is their inability to dampen outside noise. A windows' ability to block out or reduce noise is quantified according to a Sound Transmission Class (STC). STC ratings measure the average amount of noise stopped at 18 different frequencies, in decibels. The higher the STC value, the more sound is stopped. The STC rating for an average double-pane window is usually in the range of about 26 to 33. By comparison, a single pane glass window has an STC rating of about 26-28. Even the best dual pane windows, which may have an STC rating of 35, still allow a significant amount of noise to transfer through to the other side.
A simple but effective system for reducing a window's susceptibility to breakage and increasing noise blockage would be desirable.